Thursday, May 21, 1998

1. The Opening of Synod

The opening service of the 35th General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada was held at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, Quebec. The Most Rev. Michael Peers, Primate, presided. The Rt. Rev. French Chang-Him, Bishop of the Seychelles, preached. The text for the sermon was "Lift every Voice, Faisons entendre nos voix."

Youth members of Synod presented the Bishop of Montreal, The Rt. Rev. Andrew Hutchison, with a silver maple tree to be planted on the grounds of the University of McGill on Saturday, May 23. The tree was a sign of new life and healing of the earth, and of solidarity with those who suffered and ministered to the suffering during the ice storms which devastated much of eastern Ontario and Québec this past winter.

The Rt. Rev. John Hannen, Bishop of Caledonia, and Rod Robinson presented the Primate with a button blanket and mitre on behalf of the Nisga'a people, in recognition of support from the Anglican Church of Canada for the Nisaga'a people in their search for justice during the past 25 years. In addition, the Primate was given a Nisga'a name which means "the servant of God". The name will be assumed by successive Primates, as will the button blanket and mitre.

Friday, May 22, 1998

1. Welcome and Greetings

The Primate welcomed members, and greetings were received from Barbara Malloch (on behalf of the Aboriginal Elders); the Chancellor of McGill University, Ms. Greta Chambers; the Bishop of Montreal, Andrew Hutchison; Brian Hammond, Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee.

Members listened to a prayer song by an elder of the Cree Nation, and received a blessing from the aboriginal community.

2. Introductions

The Primate introduced the overseas and ecumenical partners

* The Rt. Rev. French-Chang-Him, Bishop of the Diocese of the Seychelles

* The Rev. Randall Chase, Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, USA

* The Rev. Simea de Souza Meldrum, Diocese of North Eastern Brazil

* The Rev. Emmanuel Lapierre, Associate Director at the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism

* The Most Rev. Glauco Soares de Lima, Primate of Brazil

* The Rt. Rev. Jubal Pereira Neves, Bishop of Southwestern Brazil.

* The Rev. Telmor Sartison, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

* Dr. Janet Somerville, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches

* The Rev. Andrew S'Zaw Lwin, Church of the Province of Myanmar.

Courtesies of the House were extended to Sister Constance Joanna, SSJD and Sister Heather Broadwell, CSC.

2. Resolutions

Resolutions A2, A3, A4 relating to the Convening Circular, the Agenda, and Notices of Motions and Memorials were adopted.

3. Presidential Address

The full text of the Primate's address is now available in Doc. 031 and also on the General Synod website www.anglican.ca/synod98.

At the beginning of his address, the Primate noted that recently his spiritual director had pressed him to write down, in a few words, the fundamental commitments in his life. In concluding his address to synod, the Primate quoted from this spiritual exercise:

"Because these affirmations are rooted in a deep commitment to the experience I have of the Lord as incarnate Brother, I affirm with the church that, like Jesus, I am a human being and that I think nothing human alien to me. Especially, I strive to affirm not only my own personal distinctiveness, but to move the church to make the same affirmation in championing particularly all her minorities - of age, of gender, of ethnicity, of sexuality - and to work towards the day when the whole church can make joyfully all the difficult and necessary affirmations which spring from the incarnate love of God.

"I perceive that my affirmations all live within powerful, inescapable, divine paradoxes, manifested in the governing realities of my life and all human life - space and time. The paradox of time draws from me the special commitment to be faithful to the past, to interpret that past to the church as foundation for what now is, to admit the sins and failures of that past, to work for their transformation. It draws from me, as well, a commitment to strive to speak and act in such a way that the future church will find, in my words and actions, as much as possible to be edified by and as little as possible to be ashamed of.

"That voice is mine. I pray that you may find in these words some connection with your own affirmations, and that, together, we can commit ourselves to words and deeds pleasing to our God and challenging to our world.

"`Get you up to a high mountain...' So, let us `get up' and begin our work together in this gathering. With a good and generous spirit, and mindful of God's grace, let us undertake to proclaim and to reveal `Our God is here.'

In table groups, members discussed the Primate's address by focusing on two questions: Where do the Primate's words coincide with yours? What would you add to make the voice more complete, more reflective of the whole Church?

4. Resolutions

The Synod made the following decisions:

AGREED on second reading to amend Section 3 of the Declaration of Principles to include the appointment of two representatives of Anglican Religious Orders with communities in Canada that are recognized by the House of Bishops. (A-10)

AGREED that section 8 of the Constitution be amended to reflect the change in the Declaration of Principles in resolution A10. (A-21)

5. Triennium Report

Members viewed Triennium, a video report of the work of the General Synod committees and councils in the last triennium.

6. Forums

Members attended the first in a series of 7 forums designed to provide an opportunity to discuss critical themes that are shaping the life of the Anglican Church of Canada and to explore how these themes are being experienced locally, nationally, and internationally, and to help members become aware of the many voices in our church; achieve clarity about the issues for discussion and decision at Synod; and to assist in setting directions for the future. The forums will take place over the next three days, and members will choose one forum to attend each day.

The focus of the Partnerships forum ([email protected]) was the Preparing the Way priority "to strengthen our mission and develop partnerships outside Canada." The goal of the forum was "to be a window on the world, to enlarge the sense of family, and to help General Synod members to discover network links with others.

Members heard an introduction from the forum chairperson, Dorothy Davies Flindall, and listened to a panel address the question, "What does partnership mean?" Panelists included Stuart Pike and Siméa de Souza Meldrum of the Partners in Mission Committee, and Marion Saunders and Lakshmi Daniel of the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund Committee. In table groups, members discussed questions on partnerships: sharing gifts, the Anglican Communion's Partners in Mission process, fair trade, Volunteers in Mission, foreign aid, companion dioceses, immigration, refugees/uprooted people, Jubilee, multiculturalism, youth and face to face encounters of partnerships.

The focus for the Northern Lights forum was the Preparing the Way priority "to strengthen commitment of the whole church to domestic mission in partnership with the Council of the North and to work with the Council of the North to move towards self-sufficiency." The goal was to provide an opportunity for members of General Synod to express their feelings, opinions, and concerns about the historic mission of our church in the North and the relationship of that mission to the church in the rest of Canada."

In table groups, members discussed the Church in the North and the Church in the South, The Church in the North and Aboriginal Peoples, the Church in the North and new models of ministry, and the Church in the North and Self-Sufficiency.

Following the forums, members met in diocesan caucuses to prepare nominations for the Council of General Synod.

7. Sessional Committees

Members heard from the Ven. Rodney Andrews, Chair of the Nominating Committee, The Most Rev. David Crawley, Chair of the Resolutions Committee, who outlined the procedures to be followed and the responsibilities of each committee.

The Primate introduced the assessors and the honourary secretaries , and outlined their role in assisting with the proceedings of the Synod and introduced Mr. Robert Dickson, Chair of the Expenditures Committee and Ms. Elizabeth Hutchinson, Chair of the Worship Committee.

8. Introduction of Partners

Each overseas ecumenical and partner was introduced by his/her diocesan representative. Two of the partners, Dr. Janet Somerville and Bishop Telmar Sartisan addressed the Synod. Throughout the Synod, partners will offer their reflections on the proceedings

Synod viewed a video about Volunteers in Mission program and the Most. Rev. Glauco Soares de Lima and the Rt. Rev. French Chang-Him spoke about their experiences with the Volunteers in Mission program.

9. Resolutions cont.

The Synod made the following decision

AGREED to affirm the Volunteers in Mission Program and request the Partners in Mission Committee to implement, as they see fit, the recommendations contained in the evaluation report, completed in March, 1998. (A-141).